Tower Poetry Workshops

photo by TPS member Susan West

It has been said that every poem should be revised 50 times. Often, when reading submissions, it is felt that the poet would have benefited from attending a workshop. The main activity at TPS meetings is to workshop our poems. The poet reads the poem, then the rest of us discuss it. We try to improve it with suggestions. The poet who reads now listens. It is by listening to all the opinions that a sense of what enhances the poem becomes clear. There is often disagreement. After the group has finished discussing the poem, the poet gets a chance for rebuttal but usually, what needs to be said has been said by someone in the group. (See downloadable copy of The Poetry Workshop) If you are writing in a lonely vacuum, find or form a group with other poets. It will enhance your work and theirs too. If you live close to Hamilton, come and join us! We meet one Saturday a month from 2-4 p.m. at the Westdale Public Library, 955 King St. W., Hamilton. Meeting dates for the 2011-2012 season are: September 17/11 (workshop) October 15/11 (workshop) November 12/11 (workshop) January 14/12 (workshop) February 11/12 (annual PoetryTALK)* March 10/12 (workshop) April 14/12 (workshop) May 12/12 (A.G.M. and workshop) Bring 20 copies of your poem to be workshopped, or just come and sit in until you feel comfortable with the process. No workshops are held in December or the summer months.   *Note re annual PoetryTALK: One monthly meeting each year is devoted to learning about a specific kind of poetry, or about the life and work of a single poet. The February 11, 2012 PoetryTALK will feature Past President Norman Brown, who will present his definition of THE LYRIC PROCESS, followed by an interactive session to explore the process further. The February 2011 PoetryTALK featured poet Ann Elizabeth Carson, whose presentation on The Power of Story, the Spirit of Questioning and the Risks of Remembrance appears in the Prose section of this website. The 50th Anniversary PoetryTALK was presented in the form of a public lecture delivered to a large audience by poet John B. Lee. In his address, the well-known Brantford poet drew extensively upon his own work in his thoughtful, and thought-provoking, reflections on the theme of ROOTS.